Method for coating wire fabric



Oct. 30, 1928.

J. W. MEAKER METHOD FOR COATING WIRE FABRIC Filed April 30, 1925 Patented Oct. 30, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT o'fF JOHN w. OIIEVANSTON, ILLINOIS.

METHOD FOR COATIN G WIRE FABRIC}.

Application filed April 80, 1925. Serial No. 86,885.

This invention relates to a new and improved means and method of coating wire fabric and more particularly, to a means and method for insuring a complete coating of the normall contacting wires of the fabric.

Certain forms of wire fabric used for fencing and other purposes consist of a plurality of spirally interlaced strands and are commonly called link fabric. By shortenin the normal length of the fabric the stran s or links are separated at the points at which they are in contact when the fabric is under normal tension.

It is customary to coat fabric of this character after it is formed and when the fabric is passed through a coating solution under normal tension, and maintained under this tension until the coating has set, there is a tendency for the coating to secure the links or strands rigidly together at their oints of contact. When the fabric is later exed so as to break these points of connection, the coating commonly breaks away from at least one of the strands and leaves uncoated spots readily subject to corrosion. These points are located Where the wires are in contact and where there is most opportunity for retaining rain water or the like, which will assist corrosion when the fabric is in use.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved means and method for coating wire fabric.

It is a further ob'ect to provide a means and method of this aracter adapted to prevent connection of the fabric strands by the coating material and to secure an unbroken coating.

Other and further objects willv appear as the description proceeds.

I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings certain apparatus adapted for carrying out my invention.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic elevation of one form of apparatus;

Figure 2 is a view of a portion of Figure 1 on an enlarged scale;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan view showing the fabric engaging mechanism;

Figure 4 is a fra entary view showing a modified form of fa ricengaging mechanism, and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary plan view of the form of construction shown in Figure 4.

Referring first to the form of construction in Figures 1 to 3, the wire fabric which is indicated at 11 is passed over the sprocket wheels 12 into the vat 13 which contains the liquid coatin material 14. Thewire fabric is guide down into the coating material by the member 15. The fabric passes from the bath 14 over the sprocket wheels 16 and down around the sprocket wheels 17. These wheels 16 and 17 are positively connected by the chain 18, which passes over sprocket wheels 19 and 20 secured to the same shafts as the wheels 16 and 17 The sprocket wheels 16 and 17 are thus caused to rotate in a'fixed re.- lation to each other. The sprocket wheel 17 is located in a vat 21 which contains a cooling liquid 22, which may be oil, water or any desired material.

Referring now to Figure 2, it will be a parent that the wire fabric 11 is positively driven by the sprockets on the wheels 16 and 17 which fit into the meshes of the fabric. As the fabric passes through the coating bath the wires of the fabric are held in contact with each other by gravity and by the tension caused by the drive sprockets. The sprocket wheels 16 and 17 new related that when the fabric engages their sprockets a redetermined amount of slack will exist in t e fabric between the two sprocket wheels. I

The oppositely faced lugs 23 and 24 are rotatably secured to the shafts 25 and 26 which are fixed on opposite sides of the path of the fabric between the two sprocket wheels. The springs 27 and 28 encircle the shafts 25 and 26 an each spring has one end secured to the shaft and the other end secured to the adjacent dog 23 or 24. maintain the members 23 and 24 approximately horizontal and the springs are put under tension when the fabric is drawn through the members 23 and 24 as indicated in Figure 2. This engagement of the fabric holds it in close contact wit-h the lower sprocket wheel 17 which draws it through the members 23 and 24 against the resistance of the springs 27 and 28. The slack in the fabric, therefore, is located above the members 23 and 24 at the points 29 as indicated in Figure 2. It will be noted that the wires forming the fabric are separated as they pass into the cooling bath 22.

A modified form of construction is shown in Figures 4 and 5. The fabric 31 passes down through between the idler sprockets 32 and 33 which are carried upon shafts 34 and These springs tend to I are substituted for the members 23 and 24 of v the first form of construction, and that the shafts 34 and. will be located similarly to the shafts 25 and 26of that form. The shafts 34 and 35 carry small brake drums 36 and 37 around which pames the brake bands 38 and 39. These bands 38 and 39 are drawn against the brake drums by the springs 40 and 41. Above the idler s rockets 32 and 33 are located the ipes 42 an 43, which are revided with per orations as shown at 44 an 45. These pipes are connected to a header 46 through which any desired cooling fluid may be sup lied. It will be noted that the pipes 42 an .43 are so located that coolin fluid from the perforations in the pipes wil be directed upon the fabric at the time that the wires of the fabric are separated by the action of the idler sprockets 32 and 33.

In carrying out my method, the fabric 11 ma be treated in any usual cleaning and pi ling vats before it is passed to the sprockets 12. .It will be understood'that the shafts carrying the various sprockets are driven by any suitable power means. The fabric passes through the bath 14 which may be any suitable material, such for example, as molten zinc. As the fabricis drawn out of the molten metal its temperature is such that the metal does not immediately become hard or freeze. It remains fluid, clinging to the wires of the fabric until after the fabric passes over the s rockets 16. The separation of the wires of t e fabric by the means located between the sprockets 16 and 17 will break the connection between the fluid metal on previously contacting wires, so that each wire will be covered by a separate coat of liquid material. As the wires are separated and the coating is still liquid, the wires are passed into the cooling medium which may either be a liquid in a vat, as shown in Figure Y 1, or a liquid or gas directed on the fabric in the form of jets or spray by the means shown in Figures 4 and 5. Either cooling means causes the coating to freeze or harden instantly and each wire is thus given a perfect and unbroken coat.

In the form of construction shown in Figure 1, the wire is passed over sprockets 47 and 48 and over the apron 49 and 1s wound up on the reel 50. The weight 51 serves to properly position and tension the fabric on the reel.

While I. have illustrated certain preferred forms of tzpparatus adapted for carrying out my metho it is to be understood that it may be carried out by other apparatus or in different manners, and I contemplate such changes and modifications as come within the spirit and scope of the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1: The method of coating wire fabric which consists in applying a liquid coating to the fabric, separating the wires'while the coating is liquid, and positively applying means to the coating at a redetermined point to cause it to harden whi e said wires are se arated.

2. The method of coating wire fa ric which consists in applying a liquid coating to the fabric, positively drivin the fabric, engaging the fabric adjacent t e point of drive to cause slack in the fabric such as to separate wires of the fabric, and positivel applying to the separated fabric means to iiarden the coating.

3. The method of coating wire fabric which consists in applying a liquid coating to the fabric, positively driving the fabric at two spaced points, the drive bein so re lated as to permit slack in the fabric between the drive oints, and yieldingly engaging the fabric tween the drive points in such manner as to separate the wire at a predetermined point.

4. The method of coating wire fabricwhich consists in applying a liquid coating to the fabric, positively driving the fabric at two spaced points, the drive being so relatedas to permit slack in the fabric between the drive points, yieldinglyengaging the fabric between the drive points in such manner as to separate the wire at a predetermined point, and applying to the wires at such point means for hardening the coating.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 24th day of April, 1925. I

. JOHN W. MEAKER. 

